6 Ways You Can Reuse Your Eggshells That Can Save You Some Money
Thinking back to all the eggshells I've thrown away.
By Celine Low — 12 Jan 2024, 05:40 PM
While most of us focus on the contents inside eggs, we often overlook the beneficial uses of the shells left behind
1. Fertiliser for plants
Crushed eggshells are a fantastic addition to your gardening routine. Rich in calcium, eggshells act as a natural fertiliser, providing essential nutrients to plants.
Just be sure to crush the shells before you sprinkle them around your garden, otherwise they will break down very slowly.
2. Natural pest deterrent
If you find your garden infested by snails or other pests, you can sprinkle some crushed egg shells around the base of your plants to ward off these garden intruders.
The sharp edges of crushed eggshells act as a natural pesticide because it gets under the soft, sensitive feet of these unwanted visitors, making it challenging and painful for them to slink across it.
3. Seed starters
You can turn your eggshells into miniature seed starters!
After cleaning the shells, you can fill them with potting soil and plant your seeds directly. Once the seedlings are ready for transplanting, the shell can be placed directly into the soil, offering an extra boost of nutrients to your garden.
4. Improve coffee flavour
Adding eggshells to your coffee actually makes it less bitter (unless you like it that way). Be sure to clean the shells before you add them to your brew.
Eggshells are made primarily of calcium carbonate, which is an alkaline substance. This helps to balance out the acidic taste of coffee, resulting in a smoother and milder cup of coffee.
Here's a quick tutorial if you'd like to try it out for yourself:
5. Natural household cleaner
Eggshells are mildly abrasive and don't contain the toxic chemicals you find in store-bought cleaners, which makes them a great multi-purpose householder cleaner.
Here's what to do:
1. Clean and dry the eggshells completely.
2. Ground them until they become powdery.
3. Mix them with baking soda.
4. Add some water to turn it into a paste.
Now, you have a gentle yet effective abrasive cleaner for surfaces like pots, pans, stovetops, and even stubborn stains.
6. Clean narrow-necked vases
Narrow or weirdly-shaped vases can be frustrating to clean.
Just fill the container with water, add a drop of dishwashing liquid and some crushed eggshells into it, and you'll be able to get rid of even the most hard-to-reach gunk.
A quick swirl will yield some impressive results. The soap will help loosen the grime, while the abrasive eggshells work to scrape it away.
